| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco António Bernardo Paracana Almeida | ||
| Date of birth | (1977-04-04)4 April 1977 (age 48) | ||
| Place of birth | Barreiro, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1995 | Sporting CP | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–2000 | Sporting CP | 5 | (2) |
| 1995–1996 | →Casa Pia (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 1996–1998 | →Lourinhanense (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | →Campomaiorense (loan) | 21 | (2) |
| 1999 | →Southampton (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Campomaiorense | 20 | (1) |
| 2001–2004 | Alverca | 76 | (5) |
| 2004–2005 | Ciudad Murcia | 3 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Maia | 23 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Portimonense | 24 | (2) |
| 2007–2008 | Nea Salamis | 3 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Lourosa | 9 | (2) |
| 2009–2011 | Akritas Chlorakas | 36 | (2) |
| Total | 241 | (17) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1997 | Portugal U20 | 14 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Portugal U21 | 18 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marco António Bernardo Paracana Almeida (born 4 April 1977) is a Portuguese retiredfootballer who played as acentral defender.
He started his career withSporting, going on to amassPrimeira Liga totals of 90 games and five goals over the course of six seasons, also representing in the competitionCampomaiorense andAlverca. He also played professionally in England, Spain and Cyprus.
Almeida was born inBarreiro,Setúbal District, and played youth football withSporting CP.[1] He started his senior career withCasa Pia A.C. on loan, moving toSporting Clube Lourinhanense in 1996 as the latter acted asfarm team to thePrimeira Liga giants. For the1998–99 season, still in the top division, he was again loaned, now toS.C. Campomaiorense.
In July 1999, Almeida was signed bySouthampton's managerDave Jones on a year's loan, with a view to a permanent move.[2] After impressing in pre-seasonfriendlies[3] he made his first-team debut as a 71st-minutesubstitute forClaus Lundekvam in aPremier League match againstArsenal atthe Dell, on 19 September 1999: within eight minutes, he was alongside fellow substituteThierry Henry just outside the Southampton area, when the latter received a pass fromTony Adams. He stumbled while trying to clear the ball, allowing Henry to wrap his foot around the ball and send a rocket of a shot into the far corner of the Southampton net, in what was the Frenchman's first goal in English football.[4]
Although Almeida made a few appearances for the Saints'reserves, including scoring in a 2–2 draw withChelsea on 22 September 1999, he was never again called into the main squad and, in December, the loan was cancelled.[5] Also in theUnited Kingdom, he would also have unsuccessful trials withBolton Wanderers in September 2000[6] andCardiff City (managed by former Southampton boss Jones) in 2007; subsequently he returned to Sporting, being released in the following summer after which he re-joined Campomaiorense, now as afree agent.
Almeida's most steady period came atF.C. Alverca, which he helped promote from theSegunda Liga in2002–03 by netting a career-best five times in 32 games. After three seasons he moved abroad again, going almost unnoticed atCiudad de Murcia – SpanishSegunda División – and he subsequently returned to his country, playing one campaign apiece with second level sidesF.C. Maia andPortimonense SC.
In the following years, already in his 30s, Almeida alternated between the Portuguese lower leagues andCypriot football.[7]
